Revolvable electric plug



y 1941- J. J. HOLLANDER 2,248;759

REVOLVABLE ELECTRIC PLUG Filed Jan. 11, 19:59

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' fzadezazaz 0s' JZQZZzgaaZez- Patented July 8, 1941 UNITED TES A REVOLVABLE ELECTRIC PLUG Joseph J. Hollander, Chicago, Ill. Application January 11, 1939, Serial No. 250,313

Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide an electrical plug of the revolvable type capable of efficiently giving an electrical connection regardless of the rotatory disposition of the plug and the connecting wires thereto.

Itis a further object of this invention to provide. a revolvable plug of the character described which will be simplein construction and operation and be capableof cheap production. in large quantities, being highly eflicient in carrying out the purpose for which it. is designed.

Heretofore, plugs and electrical connections of the general nature of this inventionv have been invariably complicated and have consequently given unsatisfactory service besides being difiicult to repair and cumbersome to use. It is a further object of this invention to eliminate the difiiculties occasioned by prior devices by providing for an extremely simple and yet highly efficient revolvable socket of the character described.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in drawing, and particularly the accompanying pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying thereof, from sidered in connection with the following description my invention, its mode of construction. assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawing in which the same characters of reference are. employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawing:

drawing, a preferred embodiment an inspection of which, when con- Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an embodiment of the present invention installed in the side of a wall as an outlet; 7

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of the present device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and in the direction of the corresponding arrows;

Fig. 4 is a. sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and in. the direction of the arrows.

i of screws Referring'to specific constructional details, the reference character ID designates the face plate of an embodiment of the present invention, provided with countersunk holes I I for the reception l2 or the like for attaching the plate NJ to a wall I3. Said plate It is provided centrally thereof with an opening l4, said opening being of larger diameter than the socket designated generally by the character l5 which projects therethrough. v

Thesocket I 5 is formed of an insulating material such as Bakelite or the like, and-consists of two halves, I6 and I1, adapted to -be held together by screws l8 or other fastening means, forming the socket l5 as a substantial cylindrical member. Said socket is provided with recesses l9 and 20 leading to the interior thereof fromthe front face 2 I, within which are disposed resilient contact members 22 and 23. Said resilient contact members 22 and 23 are adapted to be maintained within the recesses. l9 and 20 when the halves l6 and l! are inoperative assembly by reason of the reduced diameter portions 24' and 25 formingshoulders 26 and 21 preventing the longitudinal movement. of said contact members.

The recesses l9 and 20 and theresilient contact members therein are adapted to.receive and retain the prongs-of. a common maleelectrical plug 28. to permit wires 29 attached to said plug to freely rotate. with said plug and socket l5, preventingtangling, twisting, etc. For this reason, the socket member I5 is rotatably attachedto the bracket, 39 in a manner to be hereinafter described.

The contact member 27; is connected by means of ametallic screw 3i threading a portion-32 thereof, to a contact member 3-3. Said contact member 33 extends into a conical recess 35 formed in the central portion of said socket member IE on the face 35 thereof for a purpose tobe described. Said contact member 33 is formed from resilient metal and is adapted to normally be urged to the right as viewed in Fig. 3;

The plug member I5 is provided with a reduced diameter portion 36 for thepurpose of forming the shoulder 31 against which is disposed and fixed an annular ring 38 of conducting material. Said ring 38 is'connected to the contact 23 by means of a metallic screw 39 extending through said ring and into a threaded portion 433 provided on said resilient contact membenZB.

It will be seen from the above description that an electrical path has been established to the annular ring 38 and the contact member 33 from the resilient contact members 22 and 23, respectively.

The plug I is rotatively attached to the bracket 30 by means of the pin 4 I. Said bracket 30 is of substantially U-shaped construction and its legs 42 and 43 are attached at the ends 44 and 45 thereof to the rear of the plate ID by means of recessing and riveting as shown at 46, or by other means. The pin 4| is provided at one end thereof with a head 41, which is maintained within a recess 48 sunken in the face 2| of the plug member I5 centrally thereof. The other end of the pin 4| is fixedly attached to the bracket 30 by reason of its being threaded as at 49 for the reception of the nut 50. Intermediate the ends of said pin 4|, a shoulder 5| is provided at the junction of the body of the pin 4| with a reduced diameter portion 52. A conical conducting member 53 abuts against this shoulder 5|, extending into the recess 35 and wiping the resilient contact member 33. Between said conical member and said nut 50 are maintained in fixed relation, respectively, a metallic washer 54, a large washer 55 of insulating material, a smaller washer 55 of insulating material, serving to space the reduced diameter portion 52 of said pin 4| from an opening provided therefore in the bracket 30, another washer 55, and two metallic washers 51 between which is fixed the electrical conductor 58 of the wire 59.

It will be noted that the pin body 4| is loosely maintained in the opening provided therefor in the plug member I5, allowing the plug member to rotate thereon. Also, note that any play resulting in assembly of the device is taken up by reason of the resilience of the contact member 33 urging the plug member l5 to the left as viewed in Fig. 3.

The leg 42 of the bracket 30 has mounted thereon a resilient contact member 60 which serves to wipe the annular ring 38 as the plug member l5 rotates, constantly maintaining electrical contact therewith. Said contact member is fixedly attached to, but insulated from the bracket leg 42, as designated generally at El, in a manner similar to the fixation of the pin 4| to the bracket 30 and is connected to provide an electric path to the lead wire 62.

It will now be apparent how an electrical plug 28 could be inserted into awall outlet in which the present invention has been embodied, and maintain electrical contact with the main line regardless of the rotatory disposition of the plug, without twisting of the lead wires thereto.

While the illustrated embodiment has specifically disclosed attaching means for the pin 4| and the resilient contact member 6!] to be fixed to and insulated from the bracket 30, it is obvious that other means could be employed. The inventor does not wish to limit himself to the specific means described, but rather desires to receive protection for the generic constructional principles.

The plug member |5 may be formed with recessed portions within the same, as shown at 63, to reduce the weight and the amount of material thereof.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the struc tural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a substantially U-shaped bracket, an electrical plug member provided with contacts within recesses provided therein for the reception of male prongs, said electrical plug member being rotatably attached to and insulated from said bracket and being spaced between the arms thereof, an annular ring about said plug member establishing contact with a contact member fixed to and insulated from said bracket, a pin upon which said plug member is mounted for effecting said rotatable attachment, said annular ring being electrically connected with one of the recessed contacts, and said pin member being electrically connected with a second of said recessed contacts, the contact member of said bracket being attachable to one lead of an electric power line, said pin member being adapted to be attached to the other lead of said line.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame-like bracket, an electrical plug member provided with contacts within recesses provided therein for the reception of male prongs, said electrical plug member being rotatably attached to and insulated from said bracket and being substantially spaced within same, an annular ring about said plug member establishing contact with a resilient contact member fixed to and insulated from said bracket, a, pin upon which said plug member is mounted for effecting said rotatable attachment, said ring being electrically connected with one of said contacts within one of said recesses, and said pin being electrically connected with the other of said contacts within said recesses.

3. In a device of the character described, an electrical plug provided with recesses within which are disposed contacts on one face of said plug, a bracket, pin means fixed to and electrically insulated from said bracket extending through said plug and rotatably attaching said plug to said bracket with the sides thereof substantially spaced from said bracket, means provided on said pin means for entering a recess on the opposite face of said plug and establishing an electrical path between a contact member within said recess and an electrical conductor attached to said pin means, an annular electrical conducting ring about said plug, contact means insulatedly attached to said bracket and riding upon said ring and establishing electrical contact between said ring and a second electrical conductor, said contacts within said recesses of said first-mentioned face of said plug being respectively electrically connected with said annular ring and said contact within said recess on said second-mentioned face of said plug.

4. In a device of the character described, an electrical plug rotatably mounted upon a bracket by means of a pin member fixedly attached to and electrically insulated from said bracket, said plug being of substantially cylindrical shape and adapted to rotate on the axis of the cylinder, said bracket having portionsthereof extending parallel to the sides of said plug and being spaced therefrom, recesses within the front face of said plug, contact members adapted to receive male prongs contained within said recesses, an annular ring of conducting material disposed about the plug, and means for establishing electrical connection between the recessed contacts and external conductors, including electrical connection between one of said recessed contacts and said ring, a central conical recess formed on the rear face of said plug, a spring contact member disposed upon the inner surface of said conical recess and adapted to establish contact with one of said external conductors, and electrical connection between another of said recessed contacts and said spring contact member.

5. In a device of the character described, an electrical plug rotatably mounted upon a bracket by means of a pin member fixedly attached to and electrically insulated from said bracket, said plug being of substantially cylindrical shape and adapted to rotate on the axis of the cylinder, said bracket having portions thereof extending parallel to the sides of said plug and being spaced therefrom, recesses, Within the front face of said plug, contact members adapted to receive male prongs contained within said recesses, an annular ring of conducting material disposed about the plug, and means for establishing electrical connection between the recessed contacts and external conductors, including electrical connection between one of said recessed contacts and said ring, a central conical recess formed on the rear face of said plug, a spring contact member disposed upon the inner surface of said conical recess, conical shaped conducting means fixedly attached to said pin member and adapted to be disposed within said conical recess to permit the wiping thereof by said spring contactmember on rotation of said plug, electrical connection being provided between said spring contact member and another of said recessed contacts, and electrical connection being provided between said conical shaped conducting means and one of said external conductors by means of said pin member.

JOSEPH J. HOLLANDE-R. 

